Multiple position control device for aircraft



Oct. 21, 1952 o. M. GARMON MULTIPLE POSITION CONTROL DEVICE FOR AIRCRAFT 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed May 15, 1950 INVENTOR OR/o/v M GARMOA/ BY (/vww4, M 1

ATTORNEY Oct. 21, 1952 Q GARMON 2,614,438

MULTIPLE POSITION CONTROL DEVICE FOR AIRCRAFT Filed May 15, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 J1 47 r I. 6

E '7 I 4 ENTOR' QR/ON M GARMo/V lay 2am ATTORNEY se'a'ted side by si'de in the'aircraf ttf affecting the positions oftlr a a I tors,' and being further arranged so thatjsaid shifting may be eifected in arapidfandcon- P tented Oct. 21,1952

" Ap ieiet tfty 15,

' This finventionrelates to 'control apparatus for v R AE Orion-M, armonfltiichmondeva I. i U I 9 i '1 i9-,. 1: 5: "Claims. (Cl- 74 aircraft, and more 'particularly i-to ani nproved I device for controlling the aileronsor wing' flaps and the elevators ofan aircraft and arranged for operation by any one ofaplu'rality 'f-pilots "A main object of the invention provide a novel and improved-multiple position control -device for aircraft,'arranged for operatic b any 'one of a plurality of pilots se'ated sid y in an aircraft, without requiring the pilo'ts o shift their positions; said *device beingy'er'y simple in construction, beinfg reliable in oper and being very easy to manipulate.

- A furtherobject of the, invention is to provide an improved multiple-position controldevic f aircraft, said device being arrangedsb fth trol of the ailerons and elevators o-f an-a rcraft may be readily shifted from one pilot -to'a'nother pilot seated beside the first pilot without r'equiring either pilotto change his' 'positionfthe device involving relatively few-parts; being-"rugged in construction, and being "very easy to install on an aircraft, such installation"involving very little modification of a conventional'airo ft.

A still further object of-"the 'i'nv'entio'ri to provide an improved "control apparatus for'regulating the-elevators and ail'eronf off' an aircraft, said appara'tus'being laterally ftable so 'that control of the ailerons 1 and el'evatorslm'ay be readily transferred from one pilot to a other pilot seated beside the firstpilot withbu' "ing either pilot to move," the"deviceb 4 n I ranged so that lateral shifting'of tnegontr'or ement of the device may be accomplished-without lero'ns or elevavenient manner. fl a t,

Further objects and advantagesfof the invention will become apparent from "the following description and claims,"and"fro'm the abcornpanying drawings, wherein j Figure 1 isa top plan view'of tin-improved multiple-position control device "for 'faircraft" "constructed inaccordancewitnthe pr exit i ent n I M an. I- om.-

Figure 2 is an elevationalview ak 2-?. of Figure 1; f I

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal crosssectional detail viewtaken on line -'-'3'-o f Fig;- ure 1 i no i,

aircraft, by' conventional ineananot shown, for

rotation inwa i'verti'cal I. longitudinal plane, I and connected in a conventional manner to the ele-' 1-2; iis ecu'red on the respective end portions of the channel member 1 2 are the'respective bearing brackets l3 and"l-dif Journalled in said bearing brackets transve'rse to the channel member H! are the respective shaft elements l5'and [6, on which are secured the respective 'sprocketsl'land l8.

Engaging over the sprockets- I1 and I8 is the sprocket chain" 19. Securedto the ends'of the sprocket chain H) are the respective cables and 2 i, connected to the aileronsorwing' flaps on the respective opposite sides of the aircraft. 'As shown-in Figure '2} the. cables areengaged over respective pulleys zl and 23 rotatively mounted on abracket 24 secured to standard .I I-.

' Designated: at: 25 isa short channel-shaped member slidably mounted on the channelmember l2 and formed with inturnedbottom flanges 252 26 slidably engaging the b'ottom edges' of the depending side flanges' fl, 21- of the member 12,

otally secured-at 35, to: the ends of 'theupstanding .flanges'" of the angle .bars 28,19, [the axes of the pivotal connections 351 35 being in alignment and being parallelto channel member J2, 'so-that the sleeve member 33 may be rotated am;- l'ine Figure 4 isa cross-sectional detail viewjtalicn v s Figure 6 is an enlarged cross s 'ectiohalfdetail taken on freelyfin a plane tra nsverse to said channel mem- Designated at 35 is a hand-wheel {whichis secured on'a1hubf3l rotatably mounted on-the forward end portion of the sleeve member 33.81163- ably'mounted in the forward end portion-of said 'slee'v'e- -m'ember isa plunger 33 formed with an axial bore" 39. Rotatably mounted in bore 39' is a shaft member da extending axially through V s1eeveme'n1ber3'3. The rear-end of shaft member 4Q is connected to the forward end ofshaft 3| 1 by fa' universal joint 41 said universal joint being in alignment with the pivotal connections 35, 35.

Verse pin 45; as shown in Figures 1 and 3. I

Hub 31- is formed With-alarge axial bore 48 having the opposed longitudinal key'ways A1, 41-.

:finger -62. acoiled spring 6J3 connecting said arm to the-thori- Plunger 48 is longitudinally slidable in bore 46 a and is formed with opposed longitudinal ribs 49,

49 slidably receivable in the "key'ways' Infill. Designated at B is a coiled spring encircling the wiewe'd m Figure 3, ldisengaginggpin 54 from plunger '48. "The pilot then moves hand wheel 36 to the right, as viewed in Figure 1, holding knob 66 retracted. When the hand wheel is withinlreach-of'the'second pilot, the second pilot grasps the 'hand wheel and the knob 56 and portion of shaft member 40 located inwardly ad jacent hubwall 43 and bearing between tplun er 48 and said hub wall. Spring 56 biases plunger 48 against the left end of plunger 38, as viewed in Figure 3, and against an annular internal abutmentfil iormed inside the hubl3'l Plunger 48 is :formed with opposedI-arcuate .ribs :52, 52 which gare receivable within an enlarged' bore portion 53 ormed in ;-th e plunger 38, vascshown-in-Figurer3, Secured-to shaft member -40 :is a transversely projecting pinil lockingly receivable :between the :ends ,of the opposing aru ate ribs M ntra shownn i ur a '5,

to "key the ihub -31 normally t th shaft mem- :b.er 140, :whereby --rota'tio n jof hand Wheel '36 nor- :mally lcausessprocketpwtz to :Shift vchain +9 and to operate theailerons. g t '.-Sleieve member 3-3 is iorm dwitha longi udisnal 8101?.5'5. (Designated at 56 is a knob having :a :shank 51 which-extends through slot 55 and .is' threaded-into p1unger::38. 'It will-beseen that .by:movingiknob 156to the left, :as viewed in :Fig- 'ure 3, the left end of; plunger :38 forces ,plunger 481120113116 left-against the pressure of spring 50, whereby the {13111154 maybe disengagedfrom between .the ends .of the -.arcuate ribs 352 52, -and the hand wheel i36=and :hubS'I maybe rotated around the shaft member 49.

-Extending rotatably through :the upstanding The upper end -:Seoure d to :the outer end-of 'shaftelement 58:;isaamarm 6| :formed with a depending Arm :6! is biased-downwardly by a zontal flange of angle bar 29. As showninFigure-6, :the :horizontal flange iofrangle-bar 29 is formed with:anOtchF'GAiand thewchannelimember 12.5 isiformed withaslotzfiiunderlyi g said notch,

adjacentubearing bracket 1:3 with an aperture 66 vertically :registrable with the slot 65 and notch 64,;and arrangedto" receive theend of finger 62,

*as-showmin-Figure. 6,'whereb y the channel mem- ,ber,-25" may belocked to the channel member l2 in the position shown in full line view in Figure 1. Channel member l2:is formed adjacent-bear- .ing bracket -14 with another aperture 61, also registrable with-st65 and notch 64, whereby the channel member 25 may be locked to the channel member l2 in the position shown .in dotted view :at therightside of Figure 1. In the positions of the ,parts shown in full .line view inrFigure 1,the hand wheel 36 may be operated to controlthe ailerons andelevators of the aircraft by a pilotseated at the left-side of'the aircraft. When this gpilot-desires to vshift control of the ailerons and elevators to another pilot seated at the right side of the aircraft, he retracts knob "56,-causing finger 62 to .be elevated by cable -60 :so that it disengages from aperture 66, freeing channel member 25 for sliding movement to the right on channel member l2. At'the same'time,;plunger-38 isshifted to the left. as

continues the movement of the hand wheel to therrightgzholding knob 56 retracted until the depending finger'62 can be engaged in the aperture "61. When thisiwosition is reached, the knob 56 isuzeieased, allowing finger 62 to enter aperture 67. At thesame time, spring 50 urges plunger 46 to-the right, as viewed int-Figure 3, -;allowing :the, pinr 54 to engage: betweensthe tends-of thev artcuateiri'bs 5;, 'S'Zgand thereby'coupling thehand WQhQELaB "and \31 to vshaft;member 40.

Although .the procedure above rdSCrib8d=Qa11S for action by both pil ots, ainlman'y cases :theishift .of the control devicemay "besaccomplished by eithertof the gtwo pilotstactmg-alone,

-It will 'be noted that during "the 'changeover rof control, .-.as abovesdesoribed, the shaft member 46 .islf ree to rotate with fi pot to hub 31, and thus sprocket! 32 rotates jreelyaa-longtthe sprocket chain 49. 'h'lherefore none'of the aircraft control surfaces are opei-"alted,bynsaidchangeoverof control. The echan'geover :can .be -.accomplished very rapidly and reguires. no @change .of position .of either pilot. K

-zQbviously, the :track 42 may v.be ,of .any other -.suitable 40!?55-56061Q1131 shape than channelshape. the support means {for the bearing 30 7 thenibeinggof suitable shape to slidably embrace :the track. For l-example. the ems 1 2 Jmay be reshaped tin -.:,crossvse.ction nor may =be I-shaped in-.crossse ction.

Furthermore the track I Lmay he formed with additional sslots similar to slots 66 (and '61, lo- .ca-tedat intermediate positionsflbetween the vend positions .on the track, whereby the hand wheel 36 {may the shifted to intermediate control positions .on the track, :as where Ftherearemore than twp wpilots; seated sideby-ssi'de in the aircraft.

'While ra specific embodiment of :a multiplev.position control 4 device i-for vaircraftl has been disclosed -.-.in ,theforegoing description, it will ".be understood-rthat various modifications within .the -spirit of the invention may occur to Ithoseskilled :in ,the tart, *ilhereforelit Lis intended that no limitations lb.e placed on Jthe linvention. except .as

defined by the scope ofthe appended nlaims.

What ,is .claimedis:

I :1."In. a--control device Jfor aircraft, a trans- .versely extending tsuppor't member, a .Wing inapoperating member, means supporting .a portion of (said ssecondenamed member IIor "linear movement substantially paralll tolsaid support member'ra bearing memberlslidablymounted on said support member, a rotary element 'journa'lle'don said bearing :member, .said .rotary element .meshingly engaging said wing fiap-operating member and being \arranged to move -saidportion parallel tosald .lsupport .,meinher responsive to .10- tation of said element, and movable detent means carried by ,saidbearing ,member and being arranged to lockingly engage vsaid support -member.

2. .In a control wdevice fior aircraft, .a transversely extending support 'member a wingflapoperating. member,v means supporting a ,portion of said secondnamedmember .for linear .movement substantiallysparallel tosaidsupporthmemher, a bearing member slidably-mounted on said support member,.a rotary element -journalled on said bearing-member, l-S aid'" rotary element meshinglysengagingtsaid"wingtfiapsoperatingmember and beingarranged to move said portion par-- allelto said support member responsive to rotation of said element, movable detent means carried by said bearing member and being arranged to lockingly engage said support member, a handle element, means releasably coupling said handle element to said rotary element, and means connecting said'coupling means ,to said movable detent means. 7

3. A multiple-positioncontrol device for aircraft comprising a transverse, horizontal support member, a pair of spaced bearing elements secured to said support member, respective sprockets journalled on said bearing elements,

a sprocket chain engaged with said sprockets,

respective wing flap-operating elements connected to the ends of the chain, anadditional bearing element slidably mounted on said transnected to the ends of the chain, an additional bearing element slidably mounted on said transverse support member, a sprocket journalled on said additional bearing element and engaging said chain, a control shaft connected to said last-named sprocket, said support member being formed with a plurality of spaced socket elements, and movable detent means carried by said additional bearing element'selectively, engageable with said socket elements. 1

5. A multiple-position control device for aircraft comprising atransverse horizontal support member, a pair of spaced bearing elements secured on said support member, respective sprockets journalled on said bearing elements, a sprocket chain engaged with said sprockets, respective wing flap-operating elements connected to the ends ofthe chain, an additional bearing element slidably mounted on said transverse support member, a sprocket'journalled on said additional bearing element and engaging said named sprocket, a sleeve connected to said additional bearing element, a plunger slidably mounted in said sleeve, said control shaft extending through said. plunger, a handle element rotatably mounted on said sleeve, a projection on said shaft, an axially movable clutch element carried by said handle element and formed to interlock with said projection, spring means biasing said clutch element intov engagement with said projection, said plunger being engageable with said clutch element, movable detent means carried by said additional bearing element and being lockingly engageable with said support member, and means connecting said plunger to said movable detent means. i

'7. A multiple -position control device for aircraft comprising a transverse horizontal support member, a pair of spaced bearing elements secured on said support member, respective sprockets journalled onsaid bearing elements, a sprocket chain engaged with said sprockets, respective wing flap-operating elements connected to the ends of the chain, an additional bearing element slidably mounted on said transverse support member, a sprocket journalled on said additional bearing element and engaging said chain, a con trol shaft, connected to said last-named sprocket,

a sleeve connected to said additional bearing element, a plunger slidably mounted in said sleeve, said control shaft extendingthrough said plunger, a handle element rotatably mounted on said sleeve, a projection on said shaft, an axially movable clutch element carried by said handle element and formed to interlock with said projection, spring means biasing said clutch element into engagement With said projection, said plunger being engageable with said clutch element, said support member being formed with a plurality chain, a control shaft connected to said lastnamed sprocket, a handle element, means releasably coupling said handle element to said shaft, a movable uncoupling member carried on said shaft and'engaging said coupling means,

movable detent means carried by said additionalbearing element and being lockingly engageable with said support member,'and means connecting said uncoupling member to said movable detent means.

6.-A multiple-position control device for aircraftcomprising a transverse horizontal support member, a pair of spaced bearing elements secured on said support member, respective sprockets journalled on said bearing elements, a

of spaced openings, a movable detent element carried by said additional bearing element selectively engageable in said openings, spring means biasing said detent element into engagement with I said support member, a handle element, and means connected to said movable, detent means and being arranged to releasably couple said handle element to said rotary element.

ORION M. GARMON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record'in the file of this patent:

to the ends of thechain, an additional bearing element slidably mounted on said transverse support member, a sprocket journalled on said ad- UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 'Date 1,492,266 Ray Apr. 29, 1924 1,536,515 Methlin a May 5, 1925 Number i Country Date France Oct. 21, 1929 

